Crunchyroll vs. Funimation: Anime Streaming Subs or Dubs? (2024)

Crunchyroll vs. Funimation: Anime Streaming Subs or Dubs? (1)

Crunchyroll

4.0

Bottom Line

Crunchyroll's massive library and strong simulcast support make it the best streaming service for anime lovers.

Available at Crunchyroll

Learn MoreCrunchyroll Review

VS

Crunchyroll vs. Funimation: Anime Streaming Subs or Dubs? (2)

Funimation

3.5

Bottom Line

Anime streaming service Funimation's focus on dubs limits its library compared to competitors, but it's still a slick way for English speakers to watch hundreds of shows without reading subtitles.

Available at Funimation

Learn MoreFunimation Review

Table of Contents

Full Specs

Full SpecsCrunchyrollFunimation
Starting Price
Starting Price$7.99 per month$5.99 per month
Anime
Anime
Original Programming
Original Programming
Ads
Ads
Concurrent Streams
Concurrent Streams62-5
Web Store
Web Store

There’s never been a better time to be an international anime fan. While weird underground video stores have their appeal, sometimes you just want to watch these stylish Japanese cartoons from the comfort of your own laptop or phone with a video streaming service. This niche category has a surprisingly high number of contenders, but Crunchyroll and Funimation stand out by staking clear sides in the ongoing war of subs versus dubs. Which one best serves your inner otaku?

[Editors' Note: As of March 1, Sony has begun consolidating its anime streaming services under Crunchyroll. Content from Funimation and VRV will migrate to Crunchyroll, the service where new shows will premiere. Sony recommends canceling your account on these obsolete platforms.]

Which Service Has a Better Anime Library?

This is maybe the biggest question. Crunchyroll and Funimation both offer hundreds of anime shows, new and old. Top shows on Crunchyroll include Death Note, FLCL, and Hunter X Hunter. Funimation has Afro Samurai, Cowboy Bebop, and all the Dragon Ball you could want. Plenty of shows also appear on both services, including Attack on Titan, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, and My Hero Academia.

While both anime streaming libraries are large, Crunchyroll’s is substantially larger with more than 1,200 shows compared to Funimation’s more than 600. Crunchyroll features live-action dramas and produces its own original shows, which Funimation does not.

Crunchyroll vs. Funimation: Anime Streaming Subs or Dubs? (3)

Crunchyroll’s real advantage is that it focuses on subtitles compared to Funimation’s focus on dubbing with new English voiceovers. This sub/dub split is an informal arrangement that was once an explicit deal between the two companies. Crunchyroll's end of the deal makes it much easier for the service to debut more new shows, sometimes merely an hour after they air in Japan through simulcast. Many fans also appreciate the authenticity of hearing the original Japanese voice actors. That said, not everyone wants to read their TV shows. Funimation has been in the translation business for a long time and that’s reflected in the quality, if not the quantity, of the dub work.

The subs vs. dubs debate really just comes down to your preference, however. The same goes for the individual shows on each service. Crunchyroll has a bigger library, but if you want to watch Akira or Summer Wars, you won't find it there, but Funimation has them both.

If neither offer what you're looking for, you can try a more specialized anime streaming service. Want to watch free vintage anime? Try RetroCrush. More interested in American superheroes? Subscribe to DC Universe. Or, just stick to mainstream programming, while also enjoying great anime with Netflix.

Price and Platforms

After a two-week free trial, Crunchyroll and Funimation both offer free, ad-supported, HD-quality tiers that let you watch a portion of their libraries. From there, you have several options for upgrading.

A premium Crunchyroll subscription costs $7.99 per month. For $9.99, you can subscribe to VRV, our Editors’ Choice anime streaming service, which also gives you several other enthusiast cartoon channels (such as Boomerang, Cartoon Hangover, and NickSplat). For $14.99, the Crunchyroll Super Fan pack gets you all that plus discounts at the MunchPak and Right Stuff Anime stores.

Crunchyroll vs. Funimation: Anime Streaming Subs or Dubs? (4)

Funimation’s premium subscriptions start at $5.99 per month for the full, ad-free library along with two simultaneous streams, the same number of streams as Crunchyroll. For $7.99 per month, you get five simultaneous streams, deals in the store, and convenient offline mobile downloads, which Crunchyroll doesn’t have at all. Finally, for $99 per year, you get free shipping for store items, two free rentals, and an anniversary gift.

Crunchyroll and Funimation are both available on pretty much any mobile device (Android, iOS), media streaming device (Chromecast, Apple TV, Roku, Fire TV), and game console (PlayStation 4, Xbox One). Funimation is the only anime streaming app available on Nintendo Switch.

Interface and Features

The Crunchyroll interface is a little cluttered, but only because the app has so much going on. Browse for new and popular shows or just roll the dice with the random button. Along with watching shows, you can play games, buy clothes and toys in the store, or return to the anime source by reading manga. On mobile, many of these features aren’t integrated into the app itself. Instead, you tap on links to external sites.

Crunchyroll vs. Funimation: Anime Streaming Subs or Dubs? (5)

Funimation doesn’t have as much going on—there are no games to play or manga to read. On the bright side, Funimation’s focus on the shows themselves makes the interface a lot slicker on the web and on mobile. The player is attractive. Excellent search options help you parse infamously impenetrable anime. Get recommendations based on your mood. The tightly integrated store makes it easy to buy merchandise from whatever you’re watching, but it’s unavailable on mobile.

Playback is smooth no matter which service you go with. We experienced no issues over PCMag's Wi-Fi network (15Mbps download).

Even though subtitles play a much larger role on Crunchyroll, Funimation actually gives you more options for adjusting how subtitles appear along with changing your language preferences. Funimation also has slightly stronger parental controls, allowing you to block mature content from being seen, whereas Crunchyroll just filters it from searches. Still, both are missing useful features, such as whitelisting or creating multiple accounts with different settings.

Crunchyroll vs. Funimation: Anime Streaming Subs or Dubs? (6)

Watching With a VPN

Anime fans living in other parts of the world are already used to living on the edge in order to get their content. Still, everyone should use a VPN to protect their privacy online. VPNs don’t tend to work with streaming services, since users changing their locations can mess with regional licensing deals.

Fortunately, streaming anime on both Crunchyroll and Funimation worked fine with a test Windows device connected to ProtonVPN servers in Denmark and Canada. That may change in the future, but in this case, we suspect the inherently international nature of anime works in viewers’ favor.

Crunchyroll vs. Funimation: Anime Streaming Subs or Dubs? (7)

Crunchyroll vs. Funimation: Anime Streaming Subs or Dubs? (8) Video Streaming Services: What You Should Know

The Verdict

In terms of the sheer number of shows (and manga) it offers, Crunchyroll is unbeatable. The only reason it’s not our Editors’ Choice anime streaming service is that VRV includes literally everything Crunchyroll has to offer and then some, for just two dollars more. However, if you’re willing to sacrifice a larger library for the convenience of watching in English, using a superior app and interface, Funimation also satisfies.Besides, the two services will soon be owned by the same company, Sony. So eventually you may be able to easily enjoy them both at once.

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Crunchyroll vs. Funimation: Anime Streaming Subs or Dubs? (2024)
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